Floersch questions Ferrari’s female driver wish

Mark Scott
Ferrari-flag-1024x768

Ferrari-flag-1024x768

Sophia Floersch has criticised Ferrari’s wish for female Academy drivers as she suspects it is purely for marketing purposes.

Ferrari boss, Mattia Binotto, has spoken about his desire to see women drivers join Ferrari’s Academy, following in the footsteps of Alfa Romeo and Williams, who have Tatiana Calderon and Jamie Chadwick on their respective books as development drivers.

“We need to look at the future generation of talent for Ferrari,” Binotto recently said.

“The Academy [is also looking] for women in the future. Women should be part of the Ferrari Academy. That’s something on which we are working right now to make sure that it may happen very soon.

“I think it’s showing Ferrari is always investing to make sure we can be stronger and stronger in the medium [and] long-term view.”

But Floersch, who made an incredible comeback to racing following a very serious crash at the 2018 Macau Grand Prix, weighed in on Twitter with her opinion on the matter.

“What a discussion,” she tweeted. “Is this the spirit of modern people? As long as we are just marketing stuff in racing nothing will change.

“We have to show that we are equal. Proof of concept. Like Michele Mouton.

1996 World Champion, Damon Hill, joined the debate saying: “So providing places for women merely to level out the gender balance is not really helping, because places should be won on ability, not gender?

“Is that what you are saying Sophia? I tend to agree with you if you are saying that.”

Floersch replied: “Copy that.”

Elsewhere, the all-women W Series is set to be given more exposure in 2020 as the final two races of their second season are officially on Formula 1’s support race bill in the United States and Mexico.

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